


I Was Built For You

by ironlamb



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Church Appreciation Week, Some Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2018-07-25 17:36:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7541755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironlamb/pseuds/ironlamb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were a few things Alpha knew he was good at. He could do calculations before anyone asked him for the answer. He could shut down alarms or do full security checks in seconds. He could recognize several different languages and separate voices in a crowd of people. He was a nearly perfect AI. Sure his somewhat sassy nature caused a lot of problems for his creator and he wasn't quite ready to be field tested with soldiers but as far as reliable AIs go he was convinced he was the best.</p><p>That is until his role as an AI changes. For better or for worse.</p><p>((Tags are subject to change))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There were a few things Alpha knew he was good at. He could do calculations before anyone asked him for the answer. He could shut down alarms or do full security checks in seconds. He could recognize several different languages and separate voices in a crowd of people. He was a nearly perfect AI. Sure his somewhat sassy nature caused a lot of problems for his creator and he wasn't quite ready to be field tested with soldiers but as far as reliable AIs go he was convinced he was the best.

So it was a bit of a shock one day when the Director came to work with a new job for Alpha and a new robotic body.

"I don't really see the need to have a body. Won't I just be paired with a soldier?" He moved his fingers covered in synthetic flesh. His reflection revealed that he looked like a much younger Director with blue eyes and a bit scrawnier figure. Not that his creator was exactly built.

The Director pushed up his eye glasses and shuffled around a few papers. "Circumstances have changed. We're giving you a more domestic position."

"Is it because your wife is sick? Cause I am not cleaning up puke for the rest of my life." Nothing sounded pleasant about being domestic.

His creator frowned, clearly not pleased with Alpha but he'd have to let it slide for now. "Allison has reached a point in her life where she can't fully care for herself and the house together, as much as she argues otherwise. I am too busy with research to stay at home with her. You'll be instead working at home under the guise that I am just testing you in real life situations with a new synthetic body."  
"Wow. Lying to your wife. A whole new low."

"Its necessary to keep her happy. And the last thing I need is for her to be unhappy. At least for the sake of my own health." The Director grimaced and packed up his things. "We'll bring you in tomorrow. For now log off. You'll need your energy."

Alpha waited for Leonard, his creator, to leave before rolling his eyes. "Fuck that."  
  
\---  
  
What Alpha didn't know was when he started working around the house he'd fall in love with Allison. Not some sort of true love bull shit. More like a family member sort of love. Sure he was created from the Director but Alpha didn't express all of his feelings the same way Leonard did. For one, Alpha was more prone to get frustrated and was much lazier than Leonard. He hardly helped with cleaning or cooking or really any chore that needed to be done.

The thing was, Allison was clearly physically unable to do any of the work. Her large and rounded stomach made it impossible for her to move around comfortably. Alpha had asked about it and received a swift punch to the face. Synthetic body or not, it still fucking hurt. Not as much as when he laughed because she couldn't bend over.

Alpha didn't really understand how this could be the same fit woman he was in photographs and in memories that weren't his own. Maybe this was what made her sick. He didn't want to ask Leonard cause he didn't want to appear stupid in front of his creator. Besides, it didn't matter as long as it wasn't life threatening.

Leonard would come home from work and lecture Alpha or helping out around the house. Allison just found it amusing. She kept saying it was like a father lecturing his son. Alpha didn't really see the similarities. Probably because he never had a family like that. Allison had said that since Alpha was living with them that he was part of the family whether he liked it or not.

Alpha did like it though. Living with Allison was the best thing that had ever happen to him, besides all the angry out bursts or the amount of doctor visits that she left for. In the evening when Leonard was working late, Allison would pet Alpha's fake hair soothingly while reading to herself. It was a quiet peaceful moment that they both could share and not focus on work that needed to be done.

A few months would go by and Allison would get larger and more round. She slept more and did less and less physical work. Eventually Leonard started to stay home more and would go shopping with Allison, coming back with what Alpha assumed was a poorly made cage and several unnecessary toys. It wasn't like they had a dog or anything. There was a room that was painted a bright blue color with animal stickers covering the walls that he didn't dare enter. The cage was kept here as well as the toys. Alpha had swore that if they got a dog he was moving out. The last thing he needed was another thing to take care of.  
  
\---

One night Leonard and Allison rushed by Alpha in the living room. Allison was holding her stomach. Her face was painted with a pained expression and Leonard seemed so frightened. He was carrying a black bag that banged against the door way as he rushed Allison out of the house.

"What's going on? Is she okay?" Alpha rushed to stop them but Leonard simply shut the door in his face. They drove off before Alpha could even make it to the drive way.

Alpha spent the next couple of days laying on the couch. That night he had pretty much paced a hole in the floor with worry. It wasn't until when Leonard arrived back at home without Allison that he had stopped. He tried to find out where she was and how she was doing and if the Director had killed her or something like that. Leonard only simply laughed and told him everything was find and that his wife would be home in a few days.

So Alpha waited. Watching Leonard come in and out of the house at seemingly random times. He wasn't even sure the man was working at all. But on the second day of waiting Leonard finally arrived with Allison in tow.

Alpha was ecstatic. Finally things would return to normal. Allison seemed to look much better after that short vacation. She was a bit smaller and didn't look as sick. She did seem tired but Alpha didn't expect her to look completely fine in two days anyways. He swung the door open for the two to come in but stopped to stare at the couple.

The first thing he noticed was the bright smiling faces of both of them. It wasn't strange, since who wouldn't be happy to have Allison back? The second thing he noticed however was a bundle of pink blankets in a carrier with a small, wrinkly, and to be quite honest sightly misshapen, pink face.

"What the fuck is that?" He was pretty convinced they brought home an ugly monkey.

Leonard and Allison just smiled more, as if amused by Alpha's surprise. Leonard shifted the carrier for Alpha to get a better look.

"Alpha, meet Carolina. She's your new job."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is something I started for Church Appreciation Week on Tumblr, but was really an idea that me and i_think_id_make_a_good_ghost came up with a while ago. It most likely will extend beyond eight chapters and will definitely continue after Church appreciation week.


	2. Chapter 2

Alpha was smart, funny, devilishly handsome, and above all the most entertaining being on this planet. So he couldn't figure out why Leonard and Allison would spend all of their waking time on the crying mini human. She screamed all night every night keeping those who needed sleep awake and annoying the hell out of Alpha. He tried getting rid of her but apparently giving her to the postman wasn't a very good method to do so.

Carolina was a huge problem in the family's dynamic. Besides drooling, she really didn't do much and yet she needed so much attention. She was a pig and ate nearly every two hours, exposing Alpha to the wonders of breast feeding. People were dicks about women feeding their gross newborns in public and he took it upon himself to cuss those people out when the Church's finally went out in public. However, his outbursts only gained him a "You'll upset the baby" and a glare from Allison.

And at home Allison rarely had quiet time with him anymore. Carolina got all of the affection the woman usually displayed, plus more. Honestly, Alpha was pretty sure even Leonard was a bit jealous. But even so, Leonard turned his attention to the infant as well. He coddled her and would leave work early to spend time with her. Everyone but Alpha was happy with the baby, but with all the joys of raising a newborn, the couple was wiped out. It wasn't until Price, Leonard's therapist and coworker, suggested a day for them to relax did they finally turn to Alpha for help.

\---

"You want me to what?" Alpha couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm not spending time alone with that thing!"

Allison glared, gently rocking the baby and trying to settle her into sleep. "First off, its not a thing and if I hear you calling her that again I'll rip out your wiring. Secondly, its for a few hours. Maybe even less. You won't even notice we're gone. Besides, I'm sure even an AI can take care of a baby."

He crossed his arms. "Oh, I can. I just don't want to." 

Leonard poked his head into the nursery. "Allison, we need to go. The taxi is waiting for us and I really don't want to pay for more than I need to."

"Alright. Be right there in a second." Allison sighed and laid Carolina down in her crib, petting her head gently which only stirred more jealousy into the very core of Alpha's being. "The emergency numbers are on the fridge like usual. Give us a call if you have any questions. There are plenty of bottles in the fridge. Warm them up but don't burn her and make sure you lock the door after we leave."

Alpha rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Leave me with the monster." That earned him punch to the shoulder as Allison left. He waited for the taxi to ride off with his only salvation from this demon spawn before turning to glare at the infant. Carolina didn't really respond as she was asleep, but Alpha was sure she could feel his hatred for her.

It didn't take long for the crying to start up. Alpha was already having issues trying to get a bottle ready, could barely get a diaper on her, and refused to pick her up. Not that he didn't know how. Leonard had taught him how to support the neck and cradle the frail little body correctly. However, it wasn't something the AI was very happy to do on his own. Or at all. The first time he had tried with supervision the infant would just stare up at him silently probably plotting his demise.

Now, though, Alpha was seeing the probably of not wanting to hold the infant. It would be impossible to feed her in her crib correctly. Sighing in defeat he gently picked her up and balanced her on one arm while holding the warm bottle in another.

"If you vomit on me I'm flushing you down the toilet." The baby only gurgled for a moment before staring up at him. "Creepy ass baby."

Once he was done feeding the baby he sat the empty bottle on the dresser and sat down in the rocking chair, still holding Carolina at a distance.

"You know I hate you right? There is nothing more disgusting than your face." Alpha frowned down at the infant as it squirmed. "Allison would have been much better off without you. She had me to keep her happy. I mean, sure she had Leonard but that guy is a dick."

Carolina yawned causing her face to scrunch up and her eyes to shut firmly. She was blissfully unaware that Alpha was even the slightest bit angry with her.

\---

Allison and Leonard walked up to the front door past midnight. Leonard was a bit tipsy, having had a few drinks despite Allison not wanting to drink at all. However, she had suggested he have a few drinks to calm down. He had wanted to call the house to see if the baby was alright and while she loves her daughter with all her heart, she really didn't feel like spending her first night out of the house talking about the baby. So what if she got her husband drunk so he'd shut up. At least now she won't have to worry about running up the phone bill on unnecessary calls.

When the couple entered the house the first thing Allison did was put her husband to bed by hoisting his scrawny body over her shoulder and dumping him into their bed. She'd deal with him later. Afterwards she made her way to the nursery. The door was cracked open and a low dim light shined through. She poked her head in, expecting to see Carolina sleeping in her crib but instead see was greeted with the sight of Carolina tucked into Alpha's arms sleeping peacefully while the AI looked panicked.

"She kept crying when I tried to put her in her crib. What do I do?" His words were rushed but quiet, as to not unleash the wrath of a newborn child.

Allison smiled in an almost evil manner. "Good night, Alpha. See you in the morning." Finally she'd get a whole night of not having to wake up to care for the baby or Alpha and with Leonard drunk she didn't have anyone to worry about. She closed the door, ignoring Alpha's quiet protests and made her way to her own room for a restful long deserved sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write toddlers better than babies. This is a huge struggle.


	3. Chapter 3

Leonard was pretty happy with how his daughter was turning out. She was finally able to stand and sort of walk a few steps on her own, though crawling or being carried by her mother was her main mode of transportation. Besides the occasional angry shout when Carolina threw a block at his head, he was enjoying fatherhood and watching the little girl grow. She was taller now with a full set of blonde hair. Her green eyes were large and full of curiosity.

Her first birthday was just a day away and they had decided to do a proper celebration. Though Allison's suggestion to invite children from the neighborhood had been a good one, Leonard had decided instead to take the opportunity to show off his family and have his coworkers and other business partners visit instead. Of course they were also allowed to bring and show off their own children and partners.

Today, though, Leonard was busy taking his two "children" off shopping for groceries and presents for the toddler. Alpha was making the trip harder than it needed to be by swearing loudly in the toy section to see if he could piss off any parents, while Carolina would pull things off the shelf when Leonard was too busy lecturing her "older brother".

"I don't see why this is even necessary. Just get the squirt a box of crayons and call it a day." Alpha frowned, leaning against the doll section of a shelf and shoving his arms into the large pocket of his blue hoodie.

Leonard sighed, placing a toy that he had picked up back on the shelf. "Its a celebration of her birth and how much she progressed as a human being." He turned slightly to stare back at Alpha. "Besides, she doesn't like to draw."

Alpha scoffed. "She had no problem making splatter art out of my shirt and a whole bowl of apple sauce. I'm sure she could figure something out with crayons."

"You know what Alpha? This is a great opportunity for you learn about socialization." Leonard shoved a few bills into Alpha's had. "Go find something she'd like and meet us in the parking lot when you're done."

"What the hell am I gonna find a toddler in a Walmart?" But Leonard was already walking away with the carriage and Carolina who was smiling and waving back at him. He gave her a look of disgusted as she disappeared around the corner before turning back to the shelves.

\---

Leonard had been waiting for an hour. Carolina was beginning to get fussy and he had to turn on the annoying children's playlist on his mobile device to get her to stay calm. He hated children songs, especially since he was sure Allison only put on the most annoying ones.

When he finally saw Alpha, he was in too much shock to actually comment one the fact that the AI had bought a headset for himself to use. He spent the entire drive back fuming over the waste of his money. He should have known better. Alpha had proven to be selfish in the past.

"You're kid keeps babbling at me. Make it stop."

Leonard clenched the stirring wheel. "Maybe she's telling you off for spending the money that should have been used on buying her a gift on something useless."

Alpha crossed his arms, glaring into the rear view mirror knowing Leonard could see him. "Its not useless. Now I can tell the idiots on my gaming system that they suck. And don't you try to guilt trip me. I don't give a shit about your kid."

"Alpha. Get out. Walk home."

Alpha's jaw nearly dropped. "Its two miles! You can't expect me to get their one my own!" But Leonard had already pulled over. AI got out and stared in disbelief as the car drove away.

\---

Leonard placed Carolina in her high chair as he put the groceries away. Allison came up from the basement covered in sweat and wearing a dark colored tank top and shorts. She ruffled Carolina's hair as she walked by, causing the little girl to giggle, before leaning against Leonard. "How's my favorite nerd doing today?"

"Gross." He could feel the sweat through his shirt. Despite that, he smiled back at him. "Good. Got everything for the dinner."

"I still think its dumb that you invited your entire job over. I get neither of us really have family to invite but we should at least invite people we like. Did you get the cake?"

"That's the problem. I don't like anyone who isn't already in this house." Leonard smiled back at her before giving her a nervous look. "I may have forgotten one thing..."

Allison frowned and pulled away. "Damn it, Leonard. Well, there's no time now. I'll just go get one in the morning." She sighed and sat on the kitchen counter, despite Leonard's displeased look. "Where's Alpha?"

"He's walking home." Leonard frowned and returned to putting groceries away.

Allison raised an eyebrow at him but didn't question the angry response from her husband. Instead, she turned her attention to the sound of the door slamming open. She hopped off the counter to see who it was, only to catch a glimpse of Alpha rushing by into the kitchen. "Okay then."

"I got the stupid present." Alpha set down a pink and white striped box. "Can I please not be involved anymore?"

Leonard and Allison exchanged confused expressions before Leonard gently lifted the top of the box open. Inside was a small round white cake with blue and gold flowers around the edges. The cake had the words "Happy Birthday Brat" written in blue frosting.

"Well it works." Leonard glared at his wife for that comment.

\---

Carolina was not pleased with any of this. The annoying pink dress with too many ruffles and scratchy fabric which was gifted to her a week prior to the party by Malcolm Hargrove was too annoying to be worn for hours. The shoes pitched her tiny toddler feet and made it impossible to walk on her own. Even worse was the attention she was getting. She wasn't a shy girl, but having strangers pick her up and whisk her around was unsettling. She cried most of the time and it only encouraged the strangers to try to comfort her.

Thankfully, she was set down once the wine was passed around. The other older children were too busy playing with each other than to pay any attention to the birthday girl. It was the perfect moment to escape.

To escape right up the stairs to Alpha's private room, aka the guest room they never use. He was preoccupied with messing around with his laptop so he didn't notice the young girl waddle over to his bed. In fact, he was trying very hard to ignore the party all together. It wasn't until the little girl tugged on his pillow that he bothered to look over.

"What the hell are you doing here? Shoo." Alpha glared disapprovingly at the child. Carolina only giggled and trying to climb up the bed unsuccessfully. "No. Stop. Go away. Go back to getting coddled and praised for being a perfect diaper ruin-er."

Carolina continued her attempts, until finally one climb only ended up with her falling back to the ground. Alpha grimaced as her lip wobbled signaling the crying that would soon come after. Quickly, without thinking, he picked her up off the ground and sat her down on his lap, facing her towards the laptop. Sure, there was nothing interesting on the screen but even so Carolina seemed to settle down, just happy to be in a quiet space with someone she likes.

\---

They rejoined the party after changing the cranky child out of her dress and into a pair of overalls and a striped t-shirt. Hargrove glared at the pair before slowly making his way over to where they and the parents were.

"It seems like a waste of technology and funding to have an AI of this level be working with children."

Leonard frowned, grabbing Allison's hand to keep her from saying anything. "None of our armor enhancements are ready for testing. It would be a waste for Alpha to be sitting in a laboratory not being used. He's much better off learning to socialize with others anyways."

"He?" Hargrove raised an eyebrow.

Alpha glared, balancing Carolina on his hip. "Yeah, Dickhead. And I'd appreciate if either of you would stop talking like I'm not here."

"Who wants cake?" Allison was quick to defuse the situation, especially with her child still around. She gathered all of the guest into the kitchen and took Carolina from Alpha, only to sit her into her highchair near the cake. It only took half way through the Happy Birthday song before the birthday girl shoved her hands into the cake like it was play dough.

"God damn it! If I knew she was going to do that I'd never buy it in the first place!"

\---

Alpha helped clean up the dishes and kept an eye on Carolina who was sleeping in the highchair. The guest had cleared out of the kitchen and Leonard was assisting them out of his house. Only a few people stayed for a bit longer, finishing their wine and discussing business. By now there were no extra children in the house.

"I hear you will be returning to the military soon." Alpha could hear Hargrove's voice through the thin walls.

There was a sigh, Allison's sigh, that followed. "Too soon but not soon enough."

"Well, I'm sure having less distractions with assist Leonard with his studies and research. Besides, nothing more honorable than defending our planet."

Alpha frowned. Hargrove was a sleazebag in his opinion.

"I'm still leaving my little girl." Allison's voice was quieter.

"She seems to be in capable hands. When do you leave?"

"A month."

Alpha leaned his back against the wall closest to Allison's voice. He hung his head, letting his chin tuck in and his eyes to stare at the clean white tile of the kitchen. His heart ache with a distant longing that was both his and at the same time he knew it was not his own at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates may get slower from now on. If I take more than a week though someone should feel free to message me at thesweet-lamb.tumblr.com and let me know to get my butt in gear.


	4. Chapter 4

Alpha looked up from his laptop to see bright green eyes staring back him. "Stop staring, kid. Its freaking me out. Aren't you suppose to be going to bed."

"Its morning!" Carolina grinned and ran over to Alpha's bed and hoped up. Her feet momentarily got tangled in an oh so familiar blue sweatshirt as she clambered infront of Alpha, blocking him from his computer screen.

"Is that my shirt? What did I say about taking my stuff?" He glared, but the girl only grinned and turned around to look at what he was doing. He was whacked in the face by her blonde hair which has long lost its baby softness and had grown shoulder length. Or it would be if it wasn't tangled into knots. Without Allison around, Carolina's appearance hadn't been kepts up well. Leonard was useless at that sort of thing and which means Alpha was automatically also useless as well.

"Its Christmas. Lets go get presents." The preschooler bounced on the bed while poking at the screen. "No more games!"

Alpha sighed and moved the screen closer to himself while also grabbing the hairbrush Carolina had left at his bedside the night previous during one of her forced makeovers on him. He'll never get the nail polish off his hands, or walls, or ceiling. "Stay still." He tried brushing out the knots gaining a pained yelp from Carolina. At least when the knots came out it would be an easier experience for her. "You realize your Jewish right? You don't celebrate Christmas."

"Mama said I could celebrate both."

"Your mom isn't here right now." He quickly googled how to braid hair before deciding it wasn't worth the time and effort and just left it loose. "And we didn't even get a tree this year."

"Yeah but Mama still sent me presents and so did Dada's friends."

"Co-workers." He quickly corrected her before getting up and tucking her under his arm to carry her downstairs. He winced at the loud shriek of joy she let out when she was lifted into the air. "You're going to wake your dad up like that."

"He's already awake. He's workin'." Carolina kicked her legs, successfully hitting her brother in the back. "He forgot to sleep again."

Alpha shrugged and sat Carolina down on the bottom step of the stairs, blocking her view of the living room. "He does that. Okay, no gifts for you until you pay the toll."

Lina frowned. "I don't wanna. Its Christmas. No tolls on Christmas."

"There's always a toll." He smirked and cross his arms, waiting. 

Finally the girl sighed dramatically. "I guess you don't want your present."

That got the AI's attention, at least long enough for him to run to the living room to check. Sure enough the couch was full of gifts, though no tree. The kid was way too spoiled. Carolina followed behind him, ducking under his arm to shift through the presents. When Church finally found the one messily wrapped and addressed to him he barely waited for the confirmation from Carolina that it was okay to open it before ripping off the mismatched wrapping paper. Inside was a box and inside that box was another box.

"I swear to god kid, if this is going where I think its going--" He paused. The next box contained a flimsy piece of paper framed in pop sickle sticks with way too much glitter glue on it. It was clearly made in class prior to Winter break.The paper itself contained a poorly drawn picture of the entire family. Or what Alpha was pretty sure was the entire family.

"The blue one is you." Alpha almost jumped out of his skin when Lina had climbed up on the couch to look over his shoulder. "I'm the one with fire for hair cause I wanna be a dragon for Halloween next time. And Mama is the one with the hat. Dada is the one with a book for a face cause he likes to study a lot."

Alpha chuckled. He could feel his cold dead heart warm and grow three sizes that day. He looked over his shoulder, about to thank her before stopping himself and frowning. The brat probably planned this. There was no way he was going to give her the satisfaction of making him happy on a holiday.

Lina didn't even mind. "What did you get me?" She didn't even bother opening the other presents. Once she realize none of them were from Alpha she stopped caring. She'd open the ones from her parents later.

"A lump of smoal."

"That's not a real thing."

Alpha stuck his tongue out at her. "Is too. And its all you're getting from me, brat."

"Rude." Carolina mimicked him before giggling loudly into his ear. God, did he hate her so much.

"What are you two doing?" Leonard peeked into the room, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. "You know Christmas is tomorrow right?"

Lina gasped. "We broke the rules. Alpha has to go to jail now!"

"What the fuck, no I don't? Besides, this was your idea!"

"Alpha language--." Leonard frowned.

Carolina grinned. "There are no jails for little girls. Only for bad big brothers."

Everyone in the room paused for a moment. Sure, Leonard expected Carolina to assume Alpha was family, but to assume he was her brother, as cute as it maybe, was never discussed before. Even Alpha looked shocked before frowning. Leonard knew what was coming next, but wasn't fast enough to shut his AI up.

"I'm not your brother. Don't be dumb." Alpha didn't even care about the look of confusion on the little girl's face.

Lina only took a moment before getting away from Alpha. "You're lying! Stop lying!" She ran from the living room, back to her own room, leaving Leonard to glare at the blunt nature of his creation.

\---

Leonard went into Carolina's room cautiously before sitting down next to her crying form on the bed.

"Why did he lie?" She didn't even bother looking at him. Her voice was muffled by pillows.

Leonard sighed and pat the back of her head, smoothing out her hair. "He... Well, technically he didn't lie. He's not your brother, sweetheart. He's... Well he's kind of like F.I.L.S.S."

"Alpha is a robot voice?"

"Well not so literally like her." He couldn't think of a way to explain this too her. "He's a... helper. But in a way I guess he's still related to you. I don't know why he's so offended at you calling him your brother, but its best not to continue doing that. Okay?" He waited for his daughter to nod her head before smiling gently and tugging her up for a hug. "Hey, why don't we go open those presents together. I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind if we celebrate a day early. It can be our secret."

Carolina allowed herself to be carried back downstairs. Alpha was no where in sight, but she didn't really mind now. She couldn't let the AI spoil this moment for her. Besides, what was better than spending a little bit of time with your dad instead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love getting these comments on here. I apologize for the emotions in this one.


	5. Chapter 5

The thing about having a reluctant older brother who just so happens to be probably a robot is that it's hard to give up on them even with how hard they try to make it so that you don't like them. And Alpha worked very hard to do just that. However, Lina took Alpha's distant and often rude behavior as a challenge. She'd get him to see the light.

Of course doing that consisted of getting him to spend time with her, which was something he'd refuse on a normal basis. It was even more difficult since preschool started up again and now she was forced to make a choice. School or ditch to spend time with Alpha. Not that he was the only one she wanted to spend time with. Alison was back for a little while and the times that Carolina could see her mother were getting less and less.

Which brings us to her bedroom where she has cleverly marked her face up with red dots and was dramatically whining.

Leonard frowned, trying to pull his daughter out of bed. "You're not sick. You need to go to school."

"I'll die if I go! I can't!" Her tiny grasp on her bed was no match for her father's slightly stronger pull. "I have to stay home!"

Allison just leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "I mean, its not a big deal if she skips a day."

"You're suppose to support me." He frowned, wrestling his four year old daughter into a standing position. "God damn it, Lina, if you don't get dressed this instant..."

"Leonard, she knows when you start telling her empty threats."

"God fucking damn it, Allison! Just help me!"

Lina took the argument as the perfect distraction and dashed out of the room. Of course this only prompted a five minute long chase between her and her parents. Sadly, her tiny legs couldn't out run or out last her mother and she was scooped up, wailing and waving her arms around.

"I can't go! I wanna stay home!"

Allison sighed and shared a look with her husband. Eventually they both agreed she'd stay home for one day, but as the week continued Carolina missed almost everyday of school. When Friday came both of them had a moment of fear that they would never get Carolina to return to school. That is, until she sat them down at breakfast with a compromise. One that Alpha definitely didn't agree too.

"Like hell am I going to sit in a classroom with a bunch of snot nosed little kids!" Alpha was hanging on to the door frame like it was the only thing that was going to save him. "I'm not some object for her to show off!"

Allison pulled Alpha off the door frame with ease. "Well you should have thought about that before you decided you wouldn't be her brother either."

"Mama we're gonna be late." Carolina pouted and tugged on the end of her mother's shirt.

"Sweetie, mama's trying to teach someone a lesson right now. That's what school is for, right? How about you go ahead and I'll make sure Alpha gets to the classroom, okay?" Carolina nodded and ran down the hall, momentarily slipping on the smooth surface, before disappearing around a corner. Without Carolina around to witness it, Allison took the opportunity to slam Alpha against a wall. "Now you listen to me. I don't know what the hell happened while I was gone, but if you make my baby cry I will make your life miserable, got me?"

Alpha glared but nodded. When he was released from her grasp he rubbed his shoulder, trying to seem casual about it even though inside he was sure that she broke something. "When did you start picking favorites?"

"Since I pushed her out of my uterus. Now go on. Get to class."

\---

This was the best day ever. Having Alpha sit next to her on the alphabet mat was worth the distress she caused her parents that entire week. Now she had plenty of time to get Alpha to like her. She barely noticed the concerned looks her preschool teacher was given the adult male, or how some of the other kids were whispering.

"Carolina, would you like to introduce your, um, guest today?"

Carolina nodded and pulled on Alpha's hand. He didn't get up. "This is Alpha. Um, he really cool and likes nerdy stuff like computers. He's also part robot and he's my big brother." The children clapped reluctantly while Lina smiled proudly.

Class continued as normal. They read a few books, learned about numbers, and then were sent off to do an activity. Lina had dragged Alpha around the entire time and he was happy when she chose to do an activity where he could sit down. Except it was pretty boring watching the little girl read.

"Don't you want to hang out with your friends? It's kinda dumb hanging out by yourself." Maybe it was concern that made him speak up, or the fact she chose to sit on his foot and his leg was falling asleep.

She looked up at him. "I'm not alone I have you."

"I mean go hang out with your friends by the blocks or something."

"They're not my friends."

Alpha raised an eyebrow. "Okay, then who are your friends?"

Lina frowned then quickly returned to reading her book. It took a bit of a nudge from Alpha to get her to respond. "Um. You. And Mommy. And Daddy."

Alpha didn't know how to respond to that. 

Thankfully, he didn't need to as the teacher called for everyone to go to the gym. From all of Alpha's additional memories and research he was expecting the gym to be full of kids playing dodge ball with a teacher who was more into humiliating kids than motivating them. However, he was shocked when really all it was was a child's version of yoga.

"This is dumb." He glared at the floor, arms stretch down. "Why do I have to do this too?"

"Cause Mommy will beat you up. You're just mad you can't touch your toes." Lina laughed at him.

"No. I'm mad that they left me here. If I could drive I'd be out of here."

"What about walking."

He grimaced. "Too much work. I'll wait until your old enough to carry me."

Lina huffed. "What if I can't?"

"You're related to your mom. Trust me. You'll be able to." He nudged her gently, causing her to wobble a bit before falling over. She frowned at him but at the grin at his face she broke into a laugh. Alpha grinned at the antics for just a moment. "Hey kid. You're okay."

"You're okay too, Alpha." She dusted her self off as she stood up again. "Does this mean your my brother now and I can be your sister?"

He contemplated this for a second. Sure, he got used to the kid finally, but she still took over his life and stole affection that was clearly meant for him. But Allison cared about her, and Leonard did too. Maybe things would be better if he just let them all think he cared too. Plus, maybe it would get him out of having to do so much for the kid. "Yeah. Sure, kid. Just don't go bragging about it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alpha is a liar liar pants on fire.


	6. Chapter 6

Carolina awoke to the sound of rain hitting the the window. A flash of light illuminated her bedroom followed by a low rumble echoing in the distance. It wasn't too late into the evening, but everyone had went to bed due to the power outage. The generator was being used to just keep Alpha's body charging for the night.

Another bang of thunder had Carolina rushing under her blankets. She wondered if she could make it to her parents' bedroom, though her hesitation was cut off suddenly as her window creaked against the wind. She grabbed her blanket and ran down the hall.

Allison had heard the the tiny sound of Carolina's feet against the wooden floor and sighed, waiting for her daughter to open the door and peak in. "Lina. Its bedtime."

"But its loud outside and I have to protect daddy so I should sleep in here." Lina pouted at her mother.

Allison sat up and moved over as her daughter crawled in between her and Leonard. "But you need to sleep in your own bed." There were parenting books about this. That you shouldn't let the kid sleep in the bed or it would happen every night. But looking down at her poor Carolina she didn't have the heart to kick her out. "Are you sure its not just because you're scared?"

Carolina looked offended. "Nuh uh! I'm brave!" Another bang and Carolina was under the blankets.

Allison smiled in amusement. "Alright. One night though. And don't wake your father up. I don't want to her him whining about having to share the blankets."

The little girl nodded and shut her eyes, feeling safe and secure between her parents.

\---

It was another rainy night and Carolina woke up to the sound of people talking in hush tones down stairs. She wasn't sure why anyone would be at their house right now, unless Allison had returned early. She really hoped it was her mother, except the voices were too deep and too professional sounded. She could barely hear them at all over the sound of her father yelling.

Her father rarely yelled. His voice sounded broken and full of fury. She prayed the men would leave and let her father be happy again. Her prayers were answered by the sound of the door being slammed shut.

She darted out of bed to meet her father in the hall. "What's going on?"

"Go to bed, Carolina." Her father didn't even look at her.

"I wanna sleep in your room tonight." She reached out to grab his hand but the way her father spun around to glare at her had her recoiling back.

"I said got to your room." He clenched his jaw before settling into a frown. "Just... we'll talk about it in the morning."

Leonard move to his office, not watching the tears rain down his daughter's face. He sad at his deck and placed his face into his hands.  
\---

It wasn't a noticeable change at first, but it didn't take Carolina long to wrap her head around the fact that for the first time in her entire life, she was alone. That she was to take care of herself.

Her father had thrown himself into his studies after a week of mourning. He needed a distraction, and caring for his daughter who was just too blonde and too strong and so much like her, just wasn't an option at the moment.

Alpha shut down completely. His coping methods were similar to Leonard's, but without any real work or goals to accomplish he skipped distracting himself and instead just left the world completely.

Carolina took it upon herself to become the caretaker for those two as well. It started with her trying to cook, recieving a visit from a concerned neighbor who could hear the firealarm and didn't think anyone was home. Too be fair, Carolina shouldn't have been left alone in the first place. But that one visit turned into a cooking lesson once she begged and pleaded from her neighbor.

Now she was able to make simple meals like mac and cheese or soup from a can. It wasn't the healthiest of meals, but combined with dishes her neighbor gifted her, she was able to keep herself and her father fed.

Her father was the worst to take care of. He required constant reminders to shower or too sleep or even to brush his teeth. Most of the time he ignored her and returned to work, or yelled at her for being distracting.

Alpha was difficult in different ways. There wasn't any way for Lina to help him. He didn't need to eat, or sleep, or do work. He just sat, staring at the ceiling in silence. Sometimes she was would stop at his door before rushing back to her own room.

\---

It was a Sunday and now Carolina was eight years old. She knew no one was going to take her out so she packed up a lunch for herself and tied her own shoes before heading out the front door. She yelled goodbye, but with no response she figured no one would care.

It was hot outside, signally the middle of the Summer had arrived. She batted away a few bugs and made it across hot pavement. The street wasn't unfamiliar to her. She did this every holiday. The flower shop would be a few blocks away and after that she'd make a left and then a right and be right at her destination.

The bell to the flower shop was loud compared to the quiet buzz of the air conditioner in the shop. It smelled like a garden and it made Carolina's stomach ill with how sweet it was.

"Hello, Lina. What can I do for you today?" The man at the counter smiled down at his loyal costumer. "The usual?"

"Nuh uh. Blue bonnets." She pushed a twenty dollar bill, crumpled up and slightly sweating from her grasp, onto the counter. "And a card."

The man's smile wavered, and Lina was sure that he was trying to think of something to say. They all try to say something but they never did. "Alright. What would you like the card to say?"

"Happy Birthday, Love Lina. And with three hearts please. In black ink." She was particular.

The man handed Carolina the flowers and watched her leave with a frown. She didn't mind though. She only need his smiles long enough to get what she needed.

\---

Alpha made his way downstairs. His laptop had finally lived its life, the piece of junk, and now he had to go by a new one. "Carolina! We're going to the store!" He waited for the sound of her running downstairs. But it was quiet. So quiet he could almost hear Leonard typing away in his office. Lucky bastard with his working computer.

It dawned on him at that moment that he hadn't heard Carolina all morning. Even sitting silently in his room or staring at his computer screen waiting for something to happen, he wasn't sure what, he didn't hear her normal foot steps walking around in the kitchen or the sound of her watching TV in the living room.

If he had a heart, it would be racing at that moment. If he wasn't an AI his vision would be unfocused. Oh god, he couldn't lose two of them. He could feel himself splitting at the seams, wanting to separate from himself, however, as he panicked and looked around for the little girl, he noticed the calendar had been marked with a circle around one particular date.

"God damn it."

\---

Carolina placed the flowers on the ground. She could hear someone running up to her but didn't bother to turn around to look. It was probably a jogger.

"Damn it, Carolina!" The sound of Alpha's angry voice go louder as he approached her. "Who said you could be out by yourself?!"

Carolina turned, still kneeling in mud, looking very terrified of what the AI might do. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to bring her flowers for her birthday and...and you guys never got angry about it before."

The AI clenched his fists, still catching his breathe as he stared down at her. "Well you should have asked! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"You were worried about me?"

The pure confusion on her face cause Alpha to drop his shoulders and take a relaxed pose instead. How much did they mess up that this girl now thinks they didn't care if she disappeared? "Yes. Of course. Look, just get out of the mud and come here." The girl did as she was told but hesitated about approaching Alpha. He sighed and pulled her into a hug, having to bend down to actually do it. Damn was she short for her age. "Listen, we care a lot about you, okay? Don't ever doubt that. I'm sorry we haven't been paying attention. You just wanted to visit your mom, right? Is it okay if we head back now?"

Lina nodded and once released from the hug she grabbed his hand and let him lead her back home. It was a quiet walk, but it didn't feel as awkward as any of their previous encounters. She couldn't help but feel as if he was watching her out of the corner of his eye, like someone waiting for a plate to fall over and break.

When they arrived home, Alpha helped get rid of the mud before Lina went to visit her father's office. She stood their quietly, waiting for him to turn around.

Leonard rolled his eyes after a moment, still not looking at his daughter as he continued his work. "What do you want?"

"Um, I'm sorry for leaving without asking. I didn't want to scare anyone."

"What are you talking about?" Leonard sighed and turned sharply. "I don't have time for this. Go. Leave me alone."

She flinched. "Yes sir." She quickly ran out of the office. He didn't notice her gone. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't stand it. What would get him to notice her again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long for you guys! Mostly because I combined two chapter concepts into one. Sorry about all the angst, probably.


	7. Chapter 7

Carolina was growing into a less than agreeable teenager. Alpha had at first encouraged the rebellious streak, but as the girl grew more defiant, he was starting to see the problem. First being that Carolina was trying all that she could to get attention from her father who was too busy now that he had his doctorate and the funds to continue working on the Freelancer project, whatever the hell that meant.

Second being what Carolina thought was an appropriate way to get her father's attention.

"You are not getting a tattoo young lady." Alpha blocked the front door. The two of them were once again left home alone.

Carolina stuck out her chin and glare at him, fists clenched. "You can't say what I can and can't do. I'm practically an adult!"

"You're like fourteen and still have the climb on the counter to get your ninja turtle bowl for cereal!"

"Yeah well... You're not my dad so you can't tell me what to do!"

Church pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jesus Christ, C. You are really testing me today. Look, can't you do something less illegal? Get a temporary and pretend its a real one? Or like, get your ears pierced or something that won't end with my wiring ripped out by your actual father?"

She crossed her arms. "What do I look like? A kid? I can do better than that." Even so, she sighed, knowing either way Alpha wasn't going to let her out. "Fine, fine. I got a better idea anyways. Mind riding the bus to Walmart with me?"

\---

Alpha waited outside the store for what felt like forever before Carolina came out with a single shopping bag. "Okay, now are you going to tell me what you're doing?"

"Don't worry about it."

"That's the number one way to get me to worry and you know it." He frowned as he followed her back to the bus stop, on to the bus, and through the front door of their house. "I'm gonna order up some pizza. You don't do anything risky or I'll call the cops."

She was half way up the stairs when she leaned over the railing and raised an eyebrow at him. "What are the cops going to do? Arrest you for neglect?"

"Shut up. I heard it on TV okay?" He huffed going to find the home phone.

The pizza arrived fairly quickly and yet Carolina hadn't left the bathroom since they came home. Alpha was actually getting worried. Enough that he knocked on the bathroom door. "Hey kid? You still in there?" The door swung open and slammed him in the face. "Son of a bit-- what the fuck did you do to you hair?"

The once blonde teen came out, half of her hair tucked into a towel as she dried it. "Like it? Please say you don't. When you hate things so does dad and I can't have him liking it."

"It...would look better blue. What the hell? Why did you dye it red? Is this your way of rebelling again the man cause that's kinda weak in comparison to when you set the back porch on fire."

She frowned and shook out her hair. "Well I was going to get a tattoo but somebody decided I wasn't allowed to do that. Besides, I would have cut and shaved it too but the dye was cheap and I figured it makes more a statement this way."

"You really think your dad is going to notice?" Alpha sighed. "Cause listen, if he didn't notice your grades I doubt he's going to notice your hair."

"Its worth a shot." She brushed by him back downstairs.

When Dr. Leonard Church came home it was expected that he would grab a mug of coffee and go straight into his office. In the past Carolina would just bring him the entire pot, with everything mixed in already so he didn't have to get up. Alpha theorized it was probably under the idea that if he finished work early he would spend time with her. Except the work was never finished. It was an endless stream of papers, research, and emails to Hargrove about a project of super soldiers.

Today though, the man didn't go to his office, instead he sat down at the head of the table where Carolina and Alpha were sitting, having been eating pizza and chatting. The table was quiet now as Leonard stared over his glasses at his daughter, elbows on the table and his chin resting on the back of his hands. Even an AI could feel how cold the room had gotten when he came home.

"I received a call today from your principal." His stern southern voice held no comfort, no sense of calm. "Arguing with teachers. Failing all of your classes. Several miss trips to detention without ever having me sign a note that apparently, according to your school, had been signed." He turned his gaze to Alpha.

Alpha raised his hands in defense. "Don't look at me. I didn't know about the detentions."

Leonard rolled his eyes and returned his glaring at Carolina. "What do you have to say for yourself."

Carolina shrugged, not looking up from her plate. "I got a C in physics. So I'm not failing everything."

The director stood, slamming his palms down on the oak wood. "That is enough, Carolina. I do not have the time to correct behaviors like this. Since you refuse to behave like an adult, I'm sending you somewhere to think about the choices you've made."

She picked up on what he was hinting at immediately. "What? Boarding school? You can't send me there! I have friends here!"

"Apparently nothing more than distractions from your studies."

Alpha cleared his throat. "Hey. But I'll be there. I'm all the friend you need."

He was trying to calm the situation but Leonard was having none of that. "Alpha you will remain here. The project is ready to move on to the next stage and you will return to your original purpose."

This time Carolina shot up from her seat. "You can't do that! I need him! He's family!"

"He's an AI, Carolina. Nothing more."

She took off, tears in her eyes, to her room. Both men barely flinched as the door was slammed.

Alpha was furious though. "You're a dick. How can you call yourself her father?" He glared at his creator, who didn't dare meet his gaze.

"You don't have children. You wouldn't understand."

"I've been more of a father to that girl then you have! You've been sitting around moping since... since what happened to Allison! I've been the one taking her to school, and making sure she ate, and gave the attention she deserves! Do you even know what color her hair is?"

The director looked up, first with confusion and then with anger. "Log off Alpha." He moved passed the robot body and towards his office.

"Yeah fuck that." Alpha had a sister to comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy its been a long time. But here you go, More than half finished with this story. This was probably the easiest chapter to write for me, sorry for all the angst though.


	8. Chapter 8

The next time Alpha sees Carolina she looks barely recognizable. Soft features have grown into stern glances and worry lines. There’s a man bumping shoulders with her as they look over a list of names. They look happy, or at least the man does. Alpha notes Agent York’s familiarity with Carolina and stores the information for later.  
  
There was another pair, the twins, standing not too far off. The girl had the same burn that Alpha’s once sister did. Her stance was more relaxed than Carolina. The purple form seemed more okay with itself then the blue metal that stood in front of him.  
  
Looking over his shoulder, Church couldn’t see the Director around. It’s been weeks and he wasn’t getting a better chance then this. He waited until the rest of the agents left and appeared in front of Carolina.

“Hey C.”

“Alpha.” There is an underlining coldness that didn’t feel right to Church, but still, he could feel the warm smile as it tried to peek through the corners of her mouth.  
  
“So. Here we are. Hey, you’re Dad knows calling you Agent Carolina is stupid right? There isn’t even a second Carolina around and like its obviously your name.” He crossed his arms. It was even weirder having to adjust to being solely an AI again. She seemed so much larger than before, and that’s not including what ever hell human puberty was. Granted, he was sure she was still much shorter than his robotic form.

Carolina mimicked his stand, leaning her weight to the left. “Well, no one has questioned it. I’m surprised you’re here. The Director doesn’t usually give you such a long leash.”

“Hey, I’m my own person. He doesn’t control me.” It’s a lie mostly. He’s gotten more obedient over the years. He hates it. “Could have named you Agent Texas or something bad ass like that.”  
  
“Apparently that name is taken.” He noticed the bitter undertones in her voice. “Besides, my name doesn’t matter much here. Just how well I do. And I do... well.”

Church snorts. “Yeah, top of the list. Number One. Figured York would top you at this point.”

“He does.”

Gross. “ANYWAYS, keep up the good work, kid. You’re dad is apparently looking for me, so I gotta scram. And sis?” Finally, she turns to look at him. “Don’t get yourself killed out there, okay?”  
  
“No promises. Got a mission in a week with the twins. You know how they are.” She smiled. It was nice for a change.

“Yeah yeah. You’re gonna kick some ass anyways.”  
  
\---  
  
Carolina wasn’t much for nostalgia. Her room was barren of anything that reminded her of home. In fact, it was barren of anything that really reminded her of herself. Clean grey walls and a bed frame. It wasn’t much of a wonder as to why she spent most of her time out of it. Today was no different, but it wasn’t the memories keeping her out of there. Today, she was in a different blank room with a similar feel of isolation and coldness.  
  
She wished she could see those blue eyes staring back at her, but with one covered in white cotton and the other closed she wasn’t gifted that sight. In contrast, her green eyes were wide and filled with tears. She hated crying. It was nothing but embarrassing and honestly, she should be so worried. He was going to be fine. He was only a sleep because of pain medication. She laid her hand on his, thankful for the fact that no one else was around to see it and yet for once wishing someone was around to tell her it was all right.  
  
Preferably not York. That joke would come too soon, and she was sure he’d be making that joke for the rest of his life as soon as he wakes up. The Director would be a bad choice too, just for the fact of who he was. She wasn’t expecting anything from her father anyways. Not with the way he acted today. And that Agent Texas. God, she hated her. Such a careless person and yet praised for it all the same. Even from here Carolina could feel the blue lights blink as the numbers were tipped in Agent Texas’s favor.

And then there was Alpha. If there was anyone she would love to have around it would be him but lately he’s been different. His glowing light was less warm than usual. Sure, his snarky attitude was the same but the last time she saw him he only referred to her as Agent Carolina. Not sis. Not C. Not even just Carolina. It reminded her too much of the man he was made from.

So there was no one to comfort her. And silently, she wondered if this was what her mother felt so far away from home.  
  
\---  
  
Leonard Church knew plenty about himself. He knew he was a soldier for the Blue Army. That he was dating Allison, or Tex as she preferred. That his team mates were morons at best, but at least not as much as the other team. He knew that Blood Gulch was his home away from home.  
  
He knew Agent York, clearly because Tex must have told him at some point about her team mates. He remembers them clearly. He remembers Agent Carolina. She, she was the crazy one right? She was always with York. She was angry, and blue. She died apparently. He must have forgotten that but then Tex mentioned it and it came back to him. She was dead. Why did that make him sad?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hasn't been a year and I updated! Got hit with some inspiration to write some angst. Its a bit shorter but we're moving into some show settings now. Plus, I'm finally getting a direction I kind of like with this story. So I might update some character tags later on maybe. There is gonna be some skipping around in timeline with this chapter and probably the next and I MIGHT make this story a little longer than planned. Thanks for those sticking around to read and happy pi day :)


End file.
